- After previously aiming for a fall launch, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is now looking to bring its Web TV service to market in 2016, Bloomberg reports. The delay is blamed on slow-moving licensing talks with TV networks such as CBS, NBC, and Fox, and the need for network capacity upgrades.
- Re/code previously reported Apple's service might not launch until 2016 or late 2015. More recently, BuzzFeed reported the service wouldn't be announced at Apple's September iPhone event; a new Apple TV set-top is expected.
- Bloomberg's sources suggest Apple wants to charge ~$40/month for its service. Dish's Sling TV service provides a limited number of channels for $20/month, while Sony's more expansive PlayStation Vue service goes for $50-$70/month.
- Regarding network capacity, Apple (unsurprisingly) wants to improve quality and keep bandwidth costs down by using CDNs to stream content from data centers that are close to users. The company has been building out its own CDN, and also continues to heavily use market leader Akamai's (NASDAQ:AKAM) services.
- In other news, a federal appeals court has turned down Samsung's request to review the 2012 infringement verdict won by Apple in a California court. Samsung was originally ordered to pay over $1B, but that figure was later cut to $548M. The case will now go back to the California court to determine how much Samsung has to pay.